The price to enter the congestion zone could be lowered outside of rush hour, it has been revealed. London Mayor Boris Johnson is considering varying the price during the middle of the day in a bid to help businesses inside the zone.
The idea is based on a scheme used in Sweden but would require extensive changes to the way the London C-Charge is operated. Johnson is also considering varying the charge depending on how much carbon dioxide a vehicle emits.
One suggestion is that drivers are charged a small amount every time they enter the zone, although the maximum is capped, and at off-peak times the rate is half the price. The system would use a chip in the vehicle which is picked up by scanners when the vehicle enters the zone.
During a consultation to see if Londoners agreed with the Western extension to the scheme they were also asked about potential changes. Options included applying a peak rate in a similar way to how public transport works.
A spokesman for the Mayor said: 'The basic rate will not go up, this was a manifesto commitment, so if we were to do anything we could lower it which no motorists would object to. There would have to be a premium rate for certain types of vehicles at certain times of the day.
'What we have always said is that we want to make it easier for people to pay the charge, and the work that Transport for London has been getting on with since the consultation is to implement a payment account. The idea of variable payments is something they have been looking at as part of that.'
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